Ontario scrap metal prices this week
What a typical Ontario yard pays per pound, estimated from exchange prices and checked every Monday. Last check: October 27, 2026.
| Grade | Typical price | Range | Since last week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | |||
| Bare bright copper | $8.03/lb | $7.55 – $8.51 | no change |
| #1 copper | $7.76/lb | $7.29 – $8.23 | +$0.01 |
| #2 copper | $7.39/lb | $6.87 – $7.91 | +$0.01 |
| Insulated copper wire (heavy, 70%+) | $5.26/lb | $4.63 – $5.89 | no change |
| Insulated copper wire (light, Romex, cords) | $3.32/lb | $2.82 – $3.82 | no change |
| Brass | |||
| Yellow brass | $5.13/lb | $4.72 – $5.54 | no change |
| Red brass | $6.25/lb | $5.75 – $6.75 | +$0.01 |
| Copper/brass radiators | $3.68/lb | $3.31 – $4.05 | no change |
| Aluminum | |||
| Aluminum extrusion | $1.65/lb | $1.48 – $1.81 | no change |
| Aluminum sheet and siding | $1.20/lb | $1.06 – $1.34 | no change |
| Cast aluminum | $1.13/lb | $0.99 – $1.27 | +$0.01 |
| Aluminum rims | $1.55/lb | $1.36 – $1.74 | no change |
| Aluminum cans | $0.87/lb | $0.74 – $1.00 | no change |
| Aluminum radiators | $0.97/lb | $0.82 – $1.12 | no change |
| Stainless | |||
| Stainless steel 304 | $0.65/lb | $0.57 – $0.73 | no change |
| Stainless steel 316 | $1.41/lb | $1.24 – $1.58 | +$0.01 |
| Lead | |||
| Soft lead | $0.82/lb | $0.72 – $0.92 | no change |
| Wheel weights | $0.17/lb | $0.14 – $0.20 | no change |
| Car batteries | $0.34/lb | $0.29 – $0.39 | no change |
| Mixed | |||
| Electric motors | $0.69/lb | $0.59 – $0.79 | no change |
| Sealed units / compressors | $0.30/lb | $0.26 – $0.34 | no change |
| Steel | |||
| Light iron / shred | $280/tonne | $238 – $322 | no change |
| #1 heavy melt steel | $330/tonne | $290 – $370 | no change |
| Cast iron | $264/tonne | $224 – $304 | no change |
| Whole vehicles (complete) | $290/tonne | $232 – $348 | no change |
Canadian dollars. Per-pound prices are for clean, sorted material delivered to the yard. Steel is quoted per metric tonne (2,204.6 lb).
How these prices are worked out
Scrap yards don't publish a provincial price list, and the ones that post prices change them without notice. So instead of copying one yard, we start from the markets every yard watches:
- London Metal Exchange cash settlement for copper, aluminium, nickel, lead, zinc and tin (2026-10-26): copper US$14,500/tonne, aluminium US$3,048/tonne, nickel US$15,535/tonne.
- Bank of Canada US dollar exchange rate (2026-10-27): 1.4038 CAD per USD.
- US iron and steel scrap price index (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-09) for the steel grades.
Each grade is then set at the share of the exchange price Ontario yards have typically paid for it. Bare bright copper, for example, usually fetches 85–90% of the LME copper price; insulated house wire fetches about a third, because the yard is paying for the plastic too. The share for every grade is published in About and sources.
Treat the figure as a benchmark for a fair offer, not a quote. A yard near a mill, with a big load, or with a regular customer will pay toward the top of the range. Small loads, dirty material and remote yards pay toward the bottom.
Questions people ask
Why is the price different at my yard?
Yards set prices on their own costs: trucking to the mill or smelter, what the mill is paying this week, and how much material they have on the ground. Two yards 20 minutes apart can differ by 10–15%. Call two or three before a big load.
Is the price per pound or per kilogram?
Ontario yards almost always quote per pound for non-ferrous metal (copper, brass, aluminum) and per tonne or per 100 lb for steel. If a yard quotes per kilogram, multiply by 0.4536 to compare.
Do I get paid in cash?
Fewer and fewer yards pay cash. Many now pay by cheque or e-transfer, and some municipalities require a traceable payment for copper and catalytic converters. Each yard's listing says what we know.
Is HST charged on scrap I sell?
If you're a private individual selling your own scrap, you don't charge HST. Businesses registered for HST do. Keep your weigh ticket either way.